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By Andrew Bansal

August 19th 2017, The Hi Hat, Los Angeles CA: Zeal & Ardor is the brainchild of Swiss-American musician and composer Manuel Gagneux, which he created when someone challenged him to mix two seemingly incompatible styles of music: black metal and African-American slave blues. Following the success of the debut album ‘Devil is Fine’, Zeal & Ardor is now performing live as a full six-piece band, and played their first show in the United States last Saturday August 19th at the Hi Hat in Los Angeles. What started out as a dare on an internet forum has rapidly evolved into something unique, groundbreaking and spellbinding, and the fortunate audience here witnessed it firsthand. Continue reading “A Groundbreaking Ritual: Zeal & Ardor play First Ever U.S. Show”

Photos by Scott Clift

August 17th 2017, Brick By Brick, San Diego CA: Volume 3 of our series of Metal Assault in San Diego events at Brick By Brick took place last Thursday and we were extremely pleased to present an eclectic blend of unique tribute acts and exciting young original bands, all from Los Angeles. Metal and Abba came together like never before, literally, as MetalAbba headlined this one and played their first ever full live set. Following their appearance at The Viper Room with us the night before, all-female Motörhead tribute act Motorbäbe made it a Metal Assault double-header and kicked even more ass at the Brick. Stoner rock trio The Rare Breed, the first band to ever take the stage for Metal Assault at our first show back in March, made some new fans in SD, as did industrial doom trio Fact Pattern, who opened this show with their dark, intense, powerful sonic landscapes. If you missed out on all this incredible talent, here is a pictorial recap by Scott Clift. Enjoy the photos below and mark your calendars for our next event at the Brick, Thursday September 7th! Continue reading “Photo Gallery: Metal Assault in San Diego Vol. 3 @ Brick By Brick”

Photos by C. Jones

August 18th 2017, Union, Los Angeles CA: Swedish black metal band Marduk are currently on a North American headline tour with support acts Incantation and Abysmal Dawn, and as part of the tour, arrived in Los Angeles in front of a packed house at Union, for a Church Of The 8th Day event that also featured Ritual and Sicarius as local openers. Our man C. Jones was on site to take these photos for us. Enjoy them below, and if extreme metal is your thing, catch this tour in your town! Continue reading “Photo Gallery: Marduk, Incantation, Abysmal Dawn, Ritual & Sicarius @ Union”

Photos by Matt Nielson

August 16th 2017, The Viper Room, West Hollywood CA: Volume #9 of our series of Metal Assault Nights at The Viper Room took place last Wednesday, boasting of the heaviest of heavy lineups comprising four excellent LA bands, with longstanding stoner doom band Crowned By Fire as the headline act plus fast-rising stoner/sludge trio Ironaut, all-female Motörhead tribute act Motorbäbe, and one of the finest in the LA underground for a few years, Warchief. In terms of the turnout as well as the bands’ performances, the event lived up to expectations and then some, and if you missed it, you’d serve yourselves well to catch these bands next time. Our man Matt Nielson was on site to capture these great photos for us. Enjoy them below, and mark your calendars for the next Metal Assault Night at The Viper Room, Thursday August 31st! Continue reading “Photo Gallery: Metal Assault Night Vol. 9 @ The Viper Room”